Author: Elan

MTN Group’s long-discussed plan to reduce its shareholding in MTN Nigeria is no longer on an immediate timeline. While the Nigerian unit has returned to profitability and resumed dividend payments,  shifting tax dynamics have complicated the path to a public sell-down. Speaking during the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call in November, MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita suggested that recent changes to Nigeria’s capital gains tax (CGT) regime have made a near-term reduction in the Group’s stake commercially unattractive. As a result, plans to dilute ownership in favour of local investors are effectively on pause. “That has been complicated…

Are you thinking about buying a new external SSD? We all seem to be constantly in need of more storage, but I’d caution against heading straight for a pre-built external SSD. Pre-built external SSDs come with tradeoffs Admittedly, your typical external SSD offers a lot of convenience. A plug-and-play, “it just works” experience is typical. If that’s all you want, then carry on. However, there are drawbacks you may not be aware of. Let’s consider a popular choice for external drives: the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. It’s rugged and relatively affordable. What’s not to like, right? Related 5 Reasons I’ve…

** For the best experience, download the free Africa Private Equity News app Android | iOS **Impact Fund Denmark has announced a $15 million commitment to the Verdant Capital Hybrid Fund. The fund deploys hybrid and mezzanine capital into African financial institutions that drive financial inclusion, specifically those serving entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprisesVCHF has a mandate to invest on a pan-African basis, with a footprint that currently includes Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.“An investment like this addresses a specific and significant issue in many developing countries, namely the lack of…

Shumei Lam Interview with Shumei LamFOUNDER and MANAGING DIRECTOR, POULTRY EAST AFRICA LTD Lives in: Singapore/Rwanda In most of the world, chicken is one of the more affordable protein options. However, when Singaporean Shumei Lam first visited Rwanda in 2011, it was considered a luxury that most Rwandans could only afford on special occasions. The primary reason was the absence of commercial chicken farms – a market gap that she would eventually step in to fill. Lam, who had a background in marketing and advertising, travelled to the country on a business trip with her late father, Larry Lam. He…

Bitcoin (BTC) faces a “do-or-die” price point if 2026 becomes a classic bear market year.Key points:Bitcoin four-year price cycles and bear markets remain relevant, the latest power law analysis says.2026 may see a BTC price support showdown with $65,000 as the key level.History demands price “catching up” to power-law targets.Bitcoin bear markets to stay aroundNew analysis by Jurrien Timmer, director of global macro at Fidelity Investments, flags $65,000 as the next key BTC price battleground.After hugging its power law trendline for much of the current bull market, BTC/USD could now be due for a retest of a lower support line…

A quiet crisis is growing across social media. It is driven by generative artificial intelligence and fueled by bad actors who know exactly how to exploit its weakest points. At the centre of the storm is Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI. Marketed as “unfiltered” and more permissive than its rivals, Grok has become a tool of choice for users creating non-consensual deepfake pornography, or NCDP. The process is disturbingly simple. A normal photo is uploaded. The AI is prompted to “undress” the subject. The result is a sexualized image created without consent. The victim could be a…

Penpot is experimenting with MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers, which could lead to designers and developers being able to perform tasks in Penpot using AI that’s able to understand and interact with Penpot design files. Daniel Schwarz explains how Penpot MCP servers work, what they could mean for creating and managing designs in Penpot, and what you can do to help shape their development.Imagine that your Penpot file contains a full icon set in addition to the design itself, which uses some but not all of those icons. If you were to ask an AI such as Claude or Gemini…

The Central African Republic’s latest presidential election has delivered a familiar outcome. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has secured a third term with a commanding margin. On paper, the result suggests continuity and stability in a country long scarred by conflict. In reality, it exposes the deep contradictions at the heart of CAR’s politics — where order is increasingly maintained by force and foreign backing, while democratic legitimacy continues to erode. The election was widely disputed. Opposition candidates rejected the results, citing irregularities, intimidation, and an uneven political playing field. Much of the opposition had already been weakened by the 2023 constitutional…

In 2026, the most valuable startup opportunities combine emerging business trends, scalable digital models, and premium, brandable domain names. For investors, VCs, and domain marketplaces, these domains are not just URLs—they are strategic digital assets that can accelerate growth, build brand authority, and generate significant ROI. Premium domains provide startups with instant credibility, improved SEO, and stronger appeal to investors. Below are the best startup ideas for 2026, with projected ROI estimates based on market trends, domain quality, and sector growth potential. Investment Opportunity: Global B2B SaaS & AI-Driven Marketplaces Trend: AI-powered B2B marketplaces and business intelligence platforms are scaling…

Angel investors are playing an increasingly critical role in sustaining startups across emerging markets as early-stage companies continue to face limited access to traditional financing. Briter, a market intelligence firm, and Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) stated in a report that beyond wealthy individuals, the pool of angel investors is expanding to include young professionals, senior executives, diaspora investors, and former founders. This is a shift described as the ‘democratisation’ of angel investing. This growth has been driven largely by angel networks that organise deal flow, lower entry barriers, and promote investor education through community-led initiatives, it stated. Read also: Investor…